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Surrounded by streets full of people and signs held up high, sophomore Gabi Ruderman was one of over three million worldwide who marched on Jan. 21. In downtown Indianapolis, she proudly held her sign saying, “Love is love and love trumps hate and we are stronger together.” For her, the march held the goal of being visible. It held the goal of making sure her voice was still heard amongst the crowd.

“As peaceful protest, it may not bring as much pressure upon the government,” Ruderman said, “But the persistence of the protests can educate more people and hopefully, eventually lead to change.”

Ruderman has come from a long line of activists. “My grandmother,” she said, “always took her kids to rallies and marches when they were younger and felt that they were in this country that has this democracy and they should take advantage because here, they could freely express their voices through their freedom of speech and press and to gather publicly.”

The Women’s March was Ruderman’s first protest, but she said she hopes it will not be her last.

She said, “We will continue to protest and do what we can to try to keep our rights and keep the values on which the country was established to be open to immigrants and have religious freedom, to continue to try to achieve that and keep those rights.”